A Trip to “Once”

On November 27th, several students from Mount Saint Mary College took a trip to New York City to see the Broadway musical Once. Known for winning eight Tony awards, including one for Best Musical, this new show has captivated audience members with its modern folk music and bittersweet love story.

Once was first a book, translated to a movie, and finally a musical. The story takes place in Dublin, Ireland, a story about an Irish street singer (Steve Kazee) and a Czech piano player (Cristin Milioti) whose characters’ names are never revealed to the audience.

The musical is about two people who find themselves at crossroads in their lives. The Czech piano player stumbles upon the Irish singer, singing and playing his guitar at a bar. At the end of his performance he tries to give away his guitar. The girl, inspired by his beautiful lyrics and enchanting voice, makes it her goal to help him succeed with his music.

The relatable lyrics and catchy melodies leave the audience without a question as to why Once won the Tony Award for Best Musical.